


breakfast run

by homeformyheart_jen



Series: 28 Dates with Unit Bravo (February 2021) [18]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29544696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homeformyheart_jen/pseuds/homeformyheart_jen
Summary: mason refuses to step into haley’s bakery after that conversation until ria struggles to wake up one morning and he goes on a coffee run for her. for day 18 (bakery) of the #28 dates with unit bravo challenge.
Relationships: Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles)
Series: 28 Dates with Unit Bravo (February 2021) [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142516
Kudos: 7
Collections: 28 Dates with Unit Bravo (February 2021)





	breakfast run

**Author's Note:**

> author’s note: thank you for requesting these two @withbeautyandrage! i wanted to focus on the significance of the bakery for these two without actually having to write or address what happened in the bakery scene from the book 3 demo. a little spoilery if you haven’t read the demo yet, but i hope you enjoy!
> 
> copyright: all characters, except my oc detective, are owned by mishka jenkins @seraphinitegames.  
> series/pairing: the wayhaven chronicles – mason x f!detective (ria knight)  
> rating/warnings: 14+; some fluff  
> word count: 1.7k  
> based on/prompt: day 18 – bakery from #28dateswithunitbravo challenge by @wayhavenmonthly

**_breakfast run_ **

they didn’t have time to address whatever had happened in the bakery that day, or at least, that’s what ria told herself. the increase in trapper activity and the kidnapping case took up every minute of her free time beyond her normal duties and she barely had time to sleep.

it didn’t help that nightmares plagued her. most nights she was still trapped on the operating table, watching murphy’s vampire blood mix with her own. other times she replayed the moment he ripped open the flesh on her wrist, the blood pooling around her as she collapsed. sometimes the trappers had her and she couldn’t get to sanja before they killed her and all she could do was watch in horror as sanja’s blood pooled at her feet.

these moments seemed to playback in her mind like a movie, projecting onto the inside of her eyelids, sometimes imprinting themselves in her vision even after she’d wake up.

until mason started staying over, even when it was clear she was too tired to do anything.

he stayed with her until she fell asleep, holding her close as she tossed and turned. sometimes she’d mumble things and he’d think she was awake, only for her to turn away and continue sleeping. he still left before she woke up, the sheets on his side of the bed cold to the touch.

ria would be lying if she didn’t find the warmth of his body against hers soothing and helpful at keeping the nightmares at bay. but she still wasn’t getting enough sleep and it was starting to compound in noticeable ways.

“you are late,” adam stated, a frown evident on his features.

“bite me,” ria retorted back, glaring at him from behind her sunglasses and taking a big gulp of her coffee.

“we had to conduct the meeting without you,” he said again, the frown lines in his brow growing more furrowed. “detective, if you need help—”

ria turned around promptly, almost bumping into mason, flipping her middle finger as she went. “if you could’ve had the meeting without me, you shouldn’t have scheduled it.”

mason exchanged a silent look with adam before he followed her out, trailing a half step behind her, hands shoved deep in his pockets. she walked briskly to haley’s bakery, crumpling the coffee cup and tossing it in a nearby trash can. she was already itching for another one.

he waited outside the bakery while she ducked in and got her coffee before walking the short distance to the station.

“i’ll see you later to take you home, sweetheart,” he said simply. she paused at the moniker before nodding and disappearing into the station.

this had become an unfortunately familiar routine for the past week. they both brushed off what happened at haley’s and ignored the shift between them as much as they could. but some things were more difficult to ignore than others.

like mason’s half-hearted innuendos. and ria’s less-than-enthusiastic responses. and how he refused to step foot inside haley’s again. it only took two days before the tension inevitably became too uncomfortable and they fell back into their physical comfort zone, ria initiating the distractions so mason didn’t have to. he followed her lead and if he was hesitant about where they stood, he didn’t say anything.

but tonight, ria could barely stay awake.

mason walked her home the same as he did every night for the past week, lingering in the doorway as she walked right in without saying anything. he didn’t necessarily need her permission to enter her home since he would never encroach on her personal space uninvited, so he paused.

“are you coming in or not?” she called from her bedroom.

mason shuffled inside, closing the door quietly behind him and making his way across the room. he leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom, watching as she changed into a large shirt and half-heartedly attempted to pick up some of the clothes strewn about the bed and floor, throwing them halfway across the room towards the hamper.

she let out a tired groan and collapsed on the bed, rubbing her face with her hands. “i would like just one night where i stay asleep,” she muttered, pulling herself up toward her pillows.

“you know, i could help make sure you get a good night’s sleep,” he murmured, the suggestive undertones subdued by the concern on his face.

he would never admit it, but he had noticed the dark circles under her eyes that she tried to hide under concealer and sunglasses, the increase in the amount of coffee she would drink in a day, her lack of energy for combat training, and the lack of her usual snark.

“sorry, i’m way too exhausted,” she said, giving him an unusually apologetic smile that twisted something in mason’s chest.

“do you want me to stay?” mason asked, uncharacteristically soft. he hated this uncertain side of himself that ria seemed to bring out. _he_ was the one who usually didn’t want to stay. but for some reason, he was desperate for her to say yes.

ria yawned and shrugged. “whatever you want, sunshine,” she said, wriggling under the covers and pulling them up to her chin.

mason hesitated for a fraction of a second before climbing in beside her, touching her arm lightly so she could pull away if she wanted, before wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing his chest to her back. it didn’t take long for ria’s steady breathing to indicate she was asleep, much to his surprised relief.

the following morning, she woke up to find his arm loosely wrapped around her, the warmth of his body seeping through hers. ria took a moment to take in the rare softness of his sleeping features, her fingers itching to trace the freckles dotting his face.

ria could get used to this. but her past experience with bobby taught her not to hope. she had become somewhat of an expert in squashing those emotions, enough to almost rival adam, if he were human and without literal centuries of practice.

mason’s eyes opened slowly to find that ria was studying him in a way that made his heart clench. he frowned at the strange feeling as he realized that he had stayed through the night for the first time.

he only did it to make sure she slept through the night and got the rest she needed. at least, that’s what he told himself. and judging by the curious expression that she quickly tried to replace with a bored one, she probably told herself the same thing. the thought that she might think he didn’t care about her made him frown in annoyance.

mason never gave her an explanation. and ria didn’t ask for one. but he kept doing it anyway.

ria wouldn’t admit it out loud, but it was nice waking up with mason next to her, getting ready together (sort of), and walking to haley’s for breakfast. he continued to wait outside while she picked up her usual order, which he did every day since that confrontation. whether it was because he felt bad for embarrassing her in front of haley or because he wanted to avoid all the overwhelming smells, she wasn’t sure.

a small part of her hoped it was because he regretted saying what he did and every time they went near the bakery it was a reminder that he ~~(almost)~~ screwed things up between them.

the uncomfortable twinge in mason’s chest seemed to ebb as he and ria fell into their new routine. he watched her sleeping figure from his side of the bed, sunlight starting to stream brightly through the window as he retreated further from her to avoid it. he glanced at her alarm clock, it was already way past the time she usually woke up and he frowned. they were going on an important mission today and she needed to be ready.

ria yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. she could tell from the beaming sunlight that she had overslept and sighed, turning over to face mason only to find the bed empty. ria pursed her lips at the twinge of disappointment in her chest and forced herself to get ready for the day, refusing to go any faster than her usual pace even though she was late enough to piss off both the captain and adam. she grabbed her keys and opened the door to her apartment only to find mason on the other side with coffee and a pastry from haley’s.

she looked at the breakfast in his hand and back up at him, mouth falling open in surprise.

“i can’t have you falling asleep and jeopardizing the mission today,” he said gruffly. he looked up to see her failing to hide a smile behind the cup and his eyes softened. “you seemed like you need it.”

ria silently took the coffee from him and took a long sip, closing her eyes and letting the steam fill her nose. she opened her eyes, noticing that he was studiously avoiding her gaze.

“thank you,” she said softly, a sincerity in her voice that was as rare as it was meaningful.

mason gave her a long, scrutinizing look that softened, just slightly, before nodding and walking toward the stairwell. ria smiled and followed, feeling more rested than ever.

**Author's Note:**

> i appreciate any comments you may have - to find this on tumblr, feel free to check out my writing/art reblogs @homeformyheart.


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